Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB673 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0673
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 673
8	8	F1 5lr3108
9	9	SB 426/24 – EEE & B&T CF 5lr2063
10	10	By: Senators Hettleman and Attar
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment and Budget and Taxation
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Education – Maryland STEM Program – Established 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland STEM Program in the State Department of 3
21	21	Education to provide additional compensation to educators who teach STEM classes 4
22	22	at a nonpublic school, incentivize current teachers to obtain the necessary 5
23	23	qualifications to teach STEM subjects, and improve statewide access to STEM 6
24	24	education to address the workforce demands in the State; authorizing nonpublic 7
25	25	schools to apply for the Program and requiring nonpublic schools that participate in 8
26	26	the Program to report certain information to the Department each year; authorizing 9
27	27	local school systems to object to certain teachers participating in the Program under 10
28	28	certain circumstances; requiring the Department to develop a teacher interest 11
29	29	survey and share certain information with a nonpublic school on request; requiring 12
30	30	local school systems to inform certain teachers about the Program each year and 13
31	31	share the teacher interest survey with certain teachers; and generally relating to the 14
32	32	Maryland STEM Program. 15
33	33
34	34	BY adding to 16
35	35	Article – Education 17
36	36	Section 7–136 18
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 19
38	38	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
39	39
40	40	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
41	41	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
42	42
43	43	Article – Education 23
44	44
45	45	7–136. 24
46	46
47	47	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 25 2 SENATE BILL 673
48	48
49	49
50	50	INDICATED. 1
51	51
52	52	(2) “ELIGIBLE TEACHER ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS EMPLOYED 2
53	53	AS A TEACHER IN A PU BLIC SCHOOL IN THE STATE. 3
54	54
55	55	(3) “NONPUBLIC SCHOOL ” MEANS AN ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY 4
56	56	SCHOOL IN THE STATE THAT IS NOT PAR T OF THE PUBLIC ELEM ENTARY AND 5
57	57	SECONDARY EDUCATION SYSTEM OF THE STATE. 6
58	58
59	59	(4) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND STEM PROGRAM. 7
60	60
61	61	(5) “STEM” MEANS A SCIENCE FIEL D, MATHEMATICS , TECHNOLOGY 8
62	62	EDUCATION, OR COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION. 9
63	63
64	64	(B) (1) THERE IS A MARYLAND STEM PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT . 10
65	65
66	66	(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO: 11
67	67
68	68	(I) PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COMPENSAT ION TO EDUCATORS 12
69	69	WHO TEACH STEM CLASSES AT A NONPUBL IC SCHOOL; 13
70	70
71	71	(II) INCENTIVIZE CURRENT T EACHERS TO OBTAIN TH E 14
72	72	NECESSARY QUALIFICAT IONS TO TEACH STEM SUBJECTS; 15
73	73
74	74	(III) INCENTIVIZE INDIVIDUA LS TO ENTER THE TEAC HING 16
75	75	PROFESSION TO F ILL THE DEMAND FOR Q UALIFIED EDUCATORS I N STEM 17
76	76	SUBJECTS; 18
77	77
78	78	(IV) ASSIST IN ADDRESSING THE DIFFICULTIES PUB LIC AND 19
79	79	NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS HA VE IN ATTRACTING QUA LIFIED EDUCATORS IN STEM 20
80	80	FIELDS; AND 21
81	81
82	82	(V) IMPROVE STATEWIDE ACC ESS TO EDUCATION IN THE STEM 22
83	83	FIELDS TO ADDRESS THE WORKF ORCE DEMANDS IN THE STATE. 23
84	84
85	85	(3) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE PROGRAM. 24
86	86
87	87	(C) (1) BEGINNING IN THE 2025–2026 SCHOOL YEAR , AN ELIGIBLE 25
88	88	TEACHER MAY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL COMPENSAT ION TO TEACH STEM CLASSES AT 26
89	89	A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL U NDER THE PROGRAM. 27
90	90
91	91	(2) A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL THA T IS INTERESTED IN P ARTICIPATING IN 28
92	92	THE PROGRAM SHALL : 29 SENATE BILL 673 3
93	93
94	94
95	95
96	96	(I) PARTNER WITH AT LEAST ONE ELIGIBLE TEACHER WHO 1
97	97	AGREES TO TEACH STEM CLASSES AT THE NONPU BLIC SCHOOL AT TIMES 2
98	98	MUTUALLY AGREED ON B Y THE ELIGIBLE TEACH ER AND NONPUBLIC SCHOOL ; AND 3
99	99
100	100	(II) SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE DEPARTMENT IN 4
101	101	ACCORDANCE WITH SUBS ECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION. 5
102	102
103	103	(3) IF AN ELIGIBLE TEACHE R IS EMPLOYED AS A T EACHER IN THE 6
104	104	LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM , THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM MAY OBJECT TO TH E ELIGIBLE 7
105	105	TEACHER PARTICIPATIN G IN THE PROGRAM IF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM CITES , 8
106	106	WITH SUFFICIENT SUPP ORTING EVIDENCE , AS DEFINED BY THE DEPARTMENT , A 9
107	107	VALID REASON FOR THE OBJECTION, INCLUDING THAT : 10
108	108
109	109	(I) THE PROPOSED HOURS AT THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL 11
110	110	CONFLICT WIT H THE ELIGIBLE TEACH ER’S WORK RESPONSIBILIT Y IN THE LOCAL 12
111	111	SCHOOL SYSTEM AND NO RESOLUTION COULD BE FOUND AFTER CONSULTI NG WITH 13
112	112	THE ELIGIBLE TEACHER AND THE NONPUBLIC SC HOOL; OR 14
113	113
114	114	(II) APPROVAL OF A PROPOSE D PARTNERSHIP BETWEE N THE 15
115	115	NONPUBLIC SCHOOL AND THE ELIGIBLE TEACHER W OULD SUBSTANTIALLY I MPACT 16
116	116	THE QUALITY OF STUDE NT INSTRUCTION IN TH E LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTE M. 17
117	117
118	118	(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH APPLICATION 18
119	119	PROCEDURES AND DEADL INES FOR THE PROGRAM THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS 19
120	120	OF THIS SUBSECTION . 20
121	121
122	122	(2) AN APPLICATION SHALL INCLUDE: 21
123	123
124	124	(I) THE NAMES OF THE NONP UBLIC SCHOOL , ELIGIBLE 22
125	125	TEACHER, AND, IF APPLICABLE , THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM IN WHICH THE 23
126	126	ELIGIBLE TEACHER IS EMPLOYED; 24
127	127
128	128	(II) A SIGNED AGREEMENT FRO M THE NONPUBLIC SCHO OL 25
129	129	THAT THE ELIGIBLE TE ACHER WILL TEACH AT THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL DUR ING 26
130	130	HOURS WHEN THE TEACH ER HAS NO CONFLICTIN G DUTIES AT THE PUBL IC SCHOOL; 27
131	131
132	132	(III) THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE AND GRADES TO BE TAU GHT BY 28
133	133	THE ELIGIBLE TEACHER AT THE NONPUBLIC SCH OOL; 29
134	134
135	135	(IV) THE NUMBER OF STUDENT S, BASED ON ENROLLMENT 30
136	136	PROJECTIONS , THAT WILL RECEIVE IN STRUCTION FROM THE E LIGIBLE TEACHER 31
137	137	UNDER THE PROPOSED S CHEDULE AT THE NONPU BLIC SCHOOL; 32 4 SENATE BILL 673
138	138
139	139
140	140
141	141	(V) CERTIFICATION FROM TH E NONPUBLIC SCHOOL T HAT THE 1
142	142	ELIGIBLE TEACHER SHA LL PROVIDE ONLY SECU LAR INSTRUCTION AT THE 2
143	143	NONPUBLIC SCHOOL ; AND 3
144	144
145	145	(VI) ANY OTHER INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE 4
146	146	DEPARTMENT . 5
147	147
148	148	(3) (I) IF AN ELIGIBLE TEACHE R IS EMPLOYED BY A L OCAL 6
149	149	SCHOOL SYSTEM , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SEND THE COMPLETED APPLIC ATION 7
150	150	TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. 8
151	151
152	152	(II) IF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM OBJ ECTS TO THE ELIGIBLE 9
153	153	TEACHER’S PARTICIPATION IN T HE PROGRAM, WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER 10
154	154	RECEIPT OF THE COMPL ETED APPLICATION , THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM SHALL 11
155	155	NOTIFY THE DEPARTMENT OF ITS OBJ ECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION 12
156	156	(C)(3) OF THIS SECTION. 13
157	157
158	158	(III) IF THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES THAT THE OBJECTION 14
159	159	OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM IS VALID IN A CCORDANCE WITH SUBSE CTION (C)(3) 15
160	160	OF THIS SECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REJE CT THE APPLICATION A ND 16
161	161	INFORM THE ELIGIBLE TEACHER AND THE NONP UBLIC SCHOOL THAT THE 17
162	162	APPLICATION WAS REJE CTED. 18
163	163
164	164	(E) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH SELECTION CRIT ERIA TO 19
165	165	AWARD GRANTS UNDER T HE PROGRAM. 20
166	166
167	167	(2) SUBJECT TO THE AVAILA BILITY OF FUNDS , THE DEPARTMENT 21
168	168	SHALL AWARD GRANTS U NDER THE PROGRAM BASED ON REVI EW OF T HE 22
169	169	APPLICATIONS. 23
170	170
171	171	(3) (I) FUNDS AWARDED UNDER P ARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 24
172	172	SUBSECTION SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE P ARTICIPATING NONPUBL IC SCHOOL. 25
173	173
174	174	(II) THE PARTICIPATING NON PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL USE THE 26
175	175	FUNDS TO PROVIDE COM PENSATION TO AN ELIG IBLE TEACHER PARTICIPATING IN 27
176	176	THE PROGRAM. 28
177	177
178	178	(III) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH PROCESSES AND 29
179	179	PROCEDURES FOR REIMB URSEMENT, INCLUDING AN APPLICA TION FORM, AND THE 30
180	180	FREQUENCY AND TIMELI NE FOR REIMBURSEMENT . 31
181	181
182	182	(4) (I) SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE 32 SENATE BILL 673 5
183	183
184	184
185	185	DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH THE AMOUNT OF EACH GRANT AWARDED T O A 1
186	186	PARTICIPATING ELIGIB LE TEACHER, WHICH SHALL BE AT LE AST EQUAL TO THE 2
187	187	NUMBER OF HOURS THE TEACHER TEACHES STEM CLASSES AT A NONPUBL IC 3
188	188	SCHOOL MULTIPLIED BY THE AVERAGE HOURLY S ALARY OF A PUB LIC SCHOOL 4
189	189	TEACHER IN THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM MULTIP LIED BY 1.25. 5
190	190
191	191	(II) THE NUMBER OF HOURS U SED TO CALCULATE THE AMOUNT 6
192	192	OF EACH GRANT IN SUB PARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH MA Y NOT EXCEED THE 7
193	193	NUMBER OF HOURS IN T HE APPROVED APPLICAT ION OF THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL. 8
194	194
195	195	(5) PAYMENTS RECEIVED BY AN ELIGIBLE TEACHER UNDER THE 9
196	196	PROGRAM MAY NOT BE CO NSIDERED COMPENSATIO N UNDER A COLLECTIVE 10
197	197	BARGAINING AGREEMENT . 11
198	198
199	199	(6) FUNDS APPROPRIATED FO R THE PROGRAM SHALL BE USED 12
200	200	EXCLUSIVELY TO PAY E LIGIBLE TEACHERS TO TEACH STEM CLASSES AT A 13
201	201	PARTICIPATING NONPUB LIC SCHOOL, AND THE ELIGIBLE TEA CHER SHALL TEACH 14
202	202	ONLY THE CLASSES STI PULATED UNDER THE PROGRAM AT THE NONPUB LIC 15
203	203	SCHOOL. 16
204	204
205	205	(F) (1) IF A PARTICIPATING NO NPUBLIC SCHOOL DETER MINES THAT A 17
206	206	PARTICIPATING ELIGIB LE TEACHER IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH T HE PROGRAM OR 18
207	207	IS VIOLATING THE NON PUBLIC SCHOOL ’S CODE OF CONDUCT OR THE FACULTY 19
208	208	HANDBOOK , THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL MAY: 20
209	209
210	210	(I) REQUEST THAT THE TEAC HER BE REMOVED FROM 21
211	211	PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM AT THE NONPUB LIC SCHOOL; AND 22
212	212
213	213	(II) SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT INFORMATIO N THAT 23
214	214	DEMONSTRATES NONCOMP LIANCE WITH THE PROGRAM, THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL ’S 24
215	215	CODE OF CONDUCT , OR THE NONPUBLIC SCH OOL’S FACULTY HANDBOOK . 25
216	216
217	217	(2) AFTER REVIEWING THE I NFORMATION , THE DEPARTMENT MAY 26
218	218	TERMINATE THE TEACHE R’S PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM AT THE NONPUB LIC 27
219	219	SCHOOL. 28
220	220
221	221	(G) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 29
222	222
223	223	(I) DEVELOP A TEACHER INT EREST SURVEY ; AND 30
224	224
225	225	(II) SHARE THE LIST OF ELI GIBLE TEACHERS ON RE QUEST BY A 31
226	226	NONPUBLIC SCHOOL . 32
227	227	6 SENATE BILL 673
228	228
229	229
230	230	(2) EACH YEAR, EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SY STEM SHALL: 1
231	231
232	232	(I) INFORM ALL TEACHERS E MPLOYED AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL 2
233	233	SYSTEM ABOUT THE PROGRAM; AND 3
234	234
235	235	(II) SHARE THE TEACHER INT EREST SURVEY DEVELOP ED 4
236	236	UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION W ITH ALL TEACHERS EMP LOYED AT 5
237	237	THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM. 6
238	238
239	239	(H) (1) AT THE CONC LUSION OF EACH SCHOO L YEAR, A NONPUBLIC 7
240	240	SCHOOL PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE 8
241	241	DEPARTMENT ON THE NON PUBLIC SCHOOL ’S IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM. 9
242	242
243	243	(2) THE REPORT SHALL INCL UDE: 10
244	244
245	245	(I) THE DAYS AND CLASSROO M HOURS THAT AN ELIGIBLE 11
246	246	TEACHER TAUGHT IN TH E NONPUBLIC SCHOOL ; 12
247	247
248	248	(II) INFORMATION REGARDING WHETHER ANY SCHEDULI NG 13
249	249	OBSTACLES WERE ENCOU NTERED AND, IF SO, HOW THEY WERE ADDRES SED; 14
250	250
251	251	(III) RECOMMENDATIONS TO IM PROVE THE PROGRAM; AND 15
252	252
253	253	(IV) ANY OTHER INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE PROGRAM. 16
254	254
255	255	(I) FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 17
256	256	ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $250,000 TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR 18
257	257	GRANTS UNDER THE PROGRAM. 19
258	258
259	259	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 20
260	260	1, 2025. 21